“I love photos with great light, and the golden-hour light along the Charles River is always spectacular.
Until recently, I worked at Amazon Cambridge in Kendall Square, as director of digital products development teams. My morning commute was a 15-minute walk along the Charles from the Museum of Science to the Longfellow Bridge, but in the evenings, I usually took the 'long way' home and walked west along the Charles to Mass. Ave., crossed into Boston, and then circled back by walking either along the Esplanade or through town.
On this particular late afternoon, I was struck by the backlit MIT sails, with their distinctive 'slanted T' logos, against the shadowed dome of Maclaurin/Building 10. I have taken many variations of this photo over the years, but I still feel like I’m searching for a better version of it every time I walk along the river. Better light, improved composition, greater drama: anything to make the photo seem more like a painting.
I am never without a camera, and the city and river never fail to provide opportunities, so I’m optimistic a better shot is just around the corner.”
—JB Parrett, photographer
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